TICKETS for this year’s Brit Awards make gold-dust look commonplace after a super-fast sell-out.

And that explains why James Corden is in the organisers’ bad books, after losing 18 TICKETS to tomorrow’s star-studded extravaganza.

Yep, the host with the most (tickets) contrived to leave them in the back of a black cab.

Distracted James, 33, only realised his mistake hours later – and had no way of tracking down the black cab he’d been travelled in.

Twenty-four hours later and the tickets, worth around £5000, have still not been handed in, meaning a group of 18 chancers could attempt to gate-crash the event.

But they may be in for a shock, as security has been alerted.

Our source says: “James is mortified. He is so shattered, what with performing eight shows a weekin the West End ontop of his duties as a dad, plus run-throughs for the awards, that he is basically functioning on autopilot.

“After realising that he had lost the tickets, which were front of house, uber-VIP seats, he frantically called Brits organisers andtold them.

“So there could be a bit of an awkward situation on the night if 18 non-VIPs attempt to blag their way into the show.”

Yesterday, Florence and the Machine and Blur rehearsed at the O2, 24 hours after Rihanna, who is nominated for Best International Female, took to the stage.

And while ITV bosses have warned the Bajan superstar to keep her routine clean, the singer, celebrating her 24th birthday, is planning her most controversial wardrobe changes yet, I’m told.

After weeks of speculation, I can also confirm there will be a special Amy Winehouse tribute at the awards.

My backstage mole adds: “The medley will see some of Amy’s finest moments aired on a big screen.”